coronavirus

Most Bay Area Counties Prepare to Lift Mask Mandate

"If I see a crowded store, I'm still gonna wear my mask," a Bay Area resident says

NBC Universal, Inc. California’s indoor mask mandate is expiring Wednesday and most Bay Area counties are following the state’s lead with the exception of one. Cheryl Hurd reports.

The mask mandate in California expires Wednesday, which means fully vaccinated people won't have to wear a mask indoors in most counties in the Bay Area.

Across the region, some vaccinated shoppers are counting the days so they can shop without a face covering.

Others like David Barclay say have no plans to ditch the mask just yet.

Some Bay Area residents are looking forward to ditch the mask this week when the state mask mandate is lifted this week. Experts say some groups should consider keeping the face coverings on a little longer. Marianne Favro reports.

"If I see a crowded store, I'm still gonna wear my mask," he said. "You never know, and not all the kids are vaccinated yet. If I'm in a busy place, I'm gonna feel more comfortable having the mask on."

UCSF infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter Chin Hong said it's a smart move to keep the mask in crowded indoor settings. He also said there are others who should consider still wearing a mask even after the state mandate is lifted.

"Are you older than 65? Are you immunocompromised? Also, who do you live with? Do you have kids in your household who are unvaccinated and are under the age of 5?," he asked.

Some Bay Area businesses say they're not ready to let customers take their masks off just yet. Marianne Favro reports.

Santa Clara County is the only Bay Area county that won't be relaxing its indoor mask mandate. County health leaders will still require people to wear a mask indoors for at least several more weeks until the community transmission rate drops.

Locations in other counties across the Bay Area like courthouses in San Mateo County, Alameda County and San Francisco still plan to require face coverings.

Schools, hospitals and public transit will also continue to require masks.

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